Beachy Head 2009

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Comments

  • Thanks Andrew for the update. Sounds like an excellent run for Debbo.

    What great (and honest) reports. Well done to everyone who even attempted it...a tough race in awful conditions, and congrats to all the finishersimage.

  • Turns out I can run in the rain.  In fact I can run in some reeeeally nasty conditions.  I think I shall eat out on that for a few years to come. Those conditions were everything I hate about running, cant believe I did it.  I really did think that the woman just in front of us was going to drop off the edge of the cliff over Beachy.

    As Meldy said, 6.04 for us and sub-6 to chase next year.

    Thanks to Debbo for starting out together, sorry I was ill and has to slow down.  Thanks to Cas who I  spent some time with and to Meldy for putting up with me over the last 4 miles or so.

    Further thanks to the marshalls, B, FB and Petal.  It was grim out there.

    Special thanks also to AJH's husband for helping with my car and showing what being a pirate is about in helping your fellows.

  • Top stuff Mouse - beats my best. But wait till next time.

    (Got two additional front door keys cut...)
  • Hipps, great pics - all bar two that is! image
  • Oh and I should say it was lovely to finally meet johnny blaze and his other half image
  • Being such a crappy slow old duffer I missed out on seeing so many people image.  Knew I should have binned it!
  • Hipps, Meldy and Mouse, you were just in front of Mr Shimms and I for most of the way round.   

    Good running guys.  I was in a light blue jacket (later taken off to reveal a snazzy black top), black tights, pink camelbak and bright pink buff.  Mr Shimms was in all black with a snazzy orange camelbak.

    Hmmm, just described most people out there. image

  • Oh Shimmy .. did I pass you going up one of the Bitches?  
  • yep, I am sure you did image 

    I remember being passed by a very speedy pirate. 

  • Mouse, do you wear glasses?  I was next to the pirate laydee in glasses for quite a while. 
  • Mouse was wearing glasses and I cant think that anyone else was?
  • Ah, so it was Mouse then.   I saw that you were having a bit of trouble at one point.  You did really well. image

    I came in at 6h15m.  The final drag up to Beachy beat us.

  • you werent too far behind us then


    It was funny finishing and working out who was 'just in front' of you ... not being able to see much for the majority of the day there wasnt anyone to aim for !!
  • What a blast thoroughly enjoyed the run despite the weather 4.54 for me so well chuffed with a sub 5 at lastimage

    Well done to everyone who completed the race and comiserations to the DNF's.

    Was great to see Plodding Hippo in her new swanky 100 marathon club vest image

    It was good to meet up with a few new faces in the Ship afterwards sorry I had to shhot off so early.

    see you all next year

  • Thanks AJH - its mutualimage

    I would like to say a special thanks to all the marshals and the CP folks - the weather was foul yesterday but the marshals were still smiling 6 hours into the race, which was devotion above and beyod the call of duty.

    I also had a historically good cup of tea at the 16 mile checkpoint and mushing it all up wth the sausage roll was heavenly. Had two cups of tea in fact.

    As for the race - well, must have been 40/50 mph gusts, mist (or was it cloud) driving rain, slippery conditions, 50m visibility. Not exactly ideal running conditions then, and I was epically slow in some sections.

    Had to stop for a Jack Bauer Power Dump in the bushes at mile 5image - first al fresco evacuation in many a year.

    Garmin ran out of juice and with the absence of mile markers and the mist I felt like I was in some sort of Silent Hill timeless grey box for large parts of the race.

    I wish i could say I enjoyed the experience but endured is a more appropriate word. I stopped at Birling Gap and sat down and had a cup of tea as I was quite chop-fallen by that stage.So I wasn't exactly hammering itimage.

    Despite what "a certain person" (clue: large African mammal) says, i will not be doing Beachy again - Beachy and the SDM have both convinced me that I should stick to road running. I guess with better conditions and not having done Abingdon I could knock half an hour off my time but I am going to leave that one where it lies.

    Mooching around on the seafront on sunday was good though - the pier was a film set for "Brighton Rock" and we got some great photos.

    Sore left foot today but otherwise I feel ok. Only one more run for the year - the Slog and that's it for me. Next year I am focusing on sub 4 and my little hilly trail adventures are over.

  • Yet another race you manged to hide from me at Mr B........

    ....... time for a home visit methinks

    image

  • Mr Shimms was using the Silent Hill analogy too image ... when he wasn't cursing me for dragging him through several levels of hell
  • I'll bake a cake,Plum
  • well done to everyone who did beachy head and loads of thanks fo the marshalls standing out in that horrible rain and wind!! it was bad enough running in it!! did 4-48 and might have done better if I hadnt gone the wrong way at the end - followed every one else and we went done a horrendously steep hill!! having done it before Iknew we had gone wrong!! we had to run back uphill to rejoin the others!! how many others of you out there went the wrong way!! great race though -where was the tea and soup!! missed those -must have been going too fast! to see them -would have stopped for sure!! Great race all round -will be back next year in kinder weather I hope!!
  • What an amazing experience that was. First time I had entered the event and preparation included the Firle half marathon. Nothing however, could have prepared us for the weather conditions. Only other marathon was the two oceans in Cape Town and even though it was 35 miles yesterdays event was far more taxing with the combination of the many hills, the mud the, the wind and the rain.

    Every credit to anyone who got round or even brave enough to start the race. The event was superbly organised the marshalls were great and the quality of the refreshments amazing. Two oceans i remember for its roast spuds after 22 miles, well i will remember bhm for the great variety of food and drinks and almost threw up after 16 miles as my 12th mars bar didnt agree with me. I was saved by switching to a hot cross bun and coffee.

    There were times yesterday when i didnt think i would finish  but the down times were made up for at the end with seeing so many happy people, clearly experiencing a feeling of a great sense of achievement. Cant wait to enter for next years race.

    Famous last words......the starter......."I can guarauntee 1 thing, the weather is sure to get better" yeh right........... 13 hours later it did!     Thank you Eastbourne!

  • BB ✭✭✭

    Philpub congrats on a fantastic time and second placeimage

    Great photos Hipps - remind me how lucky I am to live hereimage

  • Shimms - I was the pirate being sick only about an hour and a half in. 

    Glasses - yes.  Pirate buff, hair down (looked like drowned rat), pirate cycle jersey, long sleeved base layer, 3/4 tights.  

    You didn't say hello!!!

    image

    Still - you know what I look like if you see me in Ikea now.

  • I got soaked through to the skin cheering you all on. Why I chose to stand at the top of a hill I'll never know  - oh it was for the view, I could watch as everyone crawled they way to the top. - Didn't see many runners though! image 

    Spent about half an hour at the finish, great to see so many very happy faces as the end drew near. Seems a few of you took me at my word when I advised rolling down the hills.

    As for getting lost, I spoke to a couple of people who went wrong en-route, it's easy to do when you're just following the person in front. I know visability was very variable. Still a bummer.

    Ooh look, my Garmin made it into one of hippo's photo's.

  • Bear B.Hind wrote (see)
    Hi - teamed up with Miserable Bleeder (thanks for the companyimage) we slipped and slithered the course and managed to finish in time.  Couldn't find pubimage, so caught early train home.  Marshals as always brilliant.  Until next year!  Now just have to repat same performance 3 days in a row for The Ridgeway Druid Challenge in 2 weeks timeimage.

    No Thank you for keeping me going.

    Apologies for slipping off after the food, but I was starting to seize up, and spent an uncomfortable night with a throbbing knee, a back that wouldn't let me stand up, and blisters the size of Russia.

    I'm not sure if I enjoyed it, but I'm glad I finished it.

    Hats off to those that do it again and again.

    From 22miles I was hallucinating and dead on my feet.

    Finished, as a walker in 8hrs 40mins.

    Just got another 5 or 6 marathon walks to do next year now.

    Gulp.

  • What a day!

    Balance went at 10 miles so was a stuggle but managed it and had a lot of laughs too. Thanks to everyone who helped me up hills, over stiles and offered me gels. I got a little fed up of explaining about my labyrinthitis so must have looked like I had hit the wall in a very bad way. Finished with an PW but never laughed so much.

    Thank you

  • JFDI,

    It occurred to me afterwards that I had passed a group of Fosters together when I came past you (there must be a special noun for that - a tinnie of Fosters?), as two of my clubmates who were immediately behind you also have that surname, and one of them does all the entries on the computer for our club events.   Did you realize that?

  • helly dhelly d ✭✭✭

    Hi MB - so can we expect you back for this one as well as the South Downs next year? I suspect I'm one of those people who told you the views were great on this one and would take your mind off the hills (oops!).

    Echoing all those saying thanks to marshalls, organisers and supporters who had to stay out a lot longer than I did.

    Loved it, weather notwithstanding. Chatted to a number of people, no idea of names. I didn't get lost but did resort to yelling "Am I going in the right direction?"  as I ran after various shadowy figures in the mist. Managed to lop a whole 2 minutes off last year's time which made me happy as I've been on a bit of a downward curve this year. 

    Couldn't make pub afterwards due to logistics of baggage, location, wetness etc. May try to stay the Saturday night next year just so I can do the post-race drinks.

  • PodroPodro ✭✭✭

    Just back from Beachy. No training meant I died after 16 miles but somehow managed to run/walk to the end and finished in 4:27ish. Mildly hypothermic at the end. Awful conditions. I should have stayed in Yorkshire image

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